


I Want You to Want Me

by MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:01:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28102869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld/pseuds/MagicGirlinAMuggleWorld
Summary: James and Lily are horny (shocking, I know), but neither one of them wants to be the first to admit it.This story ends with some explicit smut! I've been assured that it's H O T! Enjoy :)
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 13
Kudos: 129





	I Want You to Want Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inakindofdaydream](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inakindofdaydream/gifts), [HazzaP](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HazzaP/gifts).



> Dedicated to inakindofdaydream because she suggested the HIMYM-esque premise, and to HazzaP because she's been waiting for me to post some Jily smut!

**_Eight o’clock in the morning. Twelve hours to go._ **

James was seated across from Lily at breakfast this morning. It was his second favorite place to sit – second because he couldn’t touch her easily from there, but he had the perfect view of her lovely face. Those wide, emerald-green eyes that sparkled when she was pleased and that full, red bottom lip she liked to bite when she was thinking.

Yes, James decided, it was definitely nice to be seated across from Lily today. Until she tossed her head back and laughed, the pale column of her throat exposed to the world, and James swallowed a moan. Perhaps she noticed, because she gave him a little smirk as she carefully tucked her hair behind her ear. Her fingers lingered as they passed her jaw and dropped to her collarbone, and that’s when James knew for certain she was doing it on purpose.

And he had no one to blame but himself, really. 

_You’ve made your bed, now lie in it,_ he thought.

He immediately chastised himself for thinking about beds at all. He’d never win this bet if he continued down that path. He took a deep breath and tried to turn his mind to his favorite Quidditch maneuvers, instead. He was mildly successful.

Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem for James to find himself lusting after Lily’s neck – that beautiful, soft, white neck – during breakfast, or Charms class, or any other time of day. Normally, as soon as they had a break, he’d ask her to look over the prefects’ schedule or tell her McGonagall was looking for her or just pull her into a corner under his invisibility cloak, and then he’d slide an arm around her waist and press his lips against that neck until she sighed with pleasure.

But today, because of the bet, he could do no such thing. No – today, he would be strong. He would not kiss Evans before she kissed him. _Godric save him_ , he would not break first.

James hadn’t _meant_ to bet his girlfriend that he could last the day without kissing her, but she'd made a casual comment about his inability to keep his hands off her for even ten minutes, and he couldn’t allow such _arrogance_ to go unchecked, could he? Especially when, seven months into this relationship, they both knew damn well that _she_ was the one who couldn’t keep her hands off _him_. Maybe sixteen-year-old James had been brash and a little reckless, but eighteen-year-old James was the epitome of patience and restraint. Truly. In fact, if Lily had any idea how many times he’d refrained from stringing Snape up by his toes this month alone, she’d never question his self-control again.

It’s just – he loved her neck. And she knew he loved her neck, and here she was, flaunting it at breakfast like some sort of gorgeous, red-headed giraffe. He hadn’t counted on her beginning her attempts at seduction so early in the morning, the minx.

But two can play that game. James smiled to himself and rolled up his sleeves.

* * *

Lily was halfway listening to Marlene affectionately rant about her younger siblings’ plans for the upcoming summer holiday and fully pretending she didn’t notice her boyfriend seated across from her, frozen like a deer in headlights at the mere sight of her bare neck. _Merlin_ , he was easy. She pressed her lips together to hide a smug smile. _He won’t last the hour._

Or so she thought. But when she glanced up the next time, James wasn’t looking at her at all. His position was casual, and he was chatting with Sirius and Peter about the dangers inherent in charming Muggle modes of transportation (hypothetically speaking, of course), but she knew he hadn’t stopped thinking about her. No, his seemingly relaxed position was designed entirely to attract her attention. His big hands, with their long, slim fingers, were folded loosely on the table, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Every so often he'd make an exaggerated gesture, as if demonstrating a wand movement (or flight trajectory) to Sirius, and once or twice – with a subtle glance in Lily's direction – he reached up to tousle his thick black hair.

Once upon a time she'd hated the way he couldn't keep his fingers out of his hair, but now, having felt it herself, she completely understood. But even more than his hair, _dear Merlin_ , she loved his hands. Big and strong, with nimble fingers and slight calluses on the palms from years of Quidditch. The sensation of those calluses down her back or over her bum while he kissed her was one of Lily’s favorite things.

And his forearms. Plenty of girls talked about a boy’s strong biceps or defined abdominals, but few seemed to realize the beauty in a firm, golden-brown forearm, sprinkled with dark hair and flexing such that a discriminating eye – which Lily happened to have – could notice every lean, ropey muscle tightening beneath the skin.

 _Damn_. Now she wanted to trace a finger over those forearms, feel those hands on her waist. But she wouldn’t initiate it.

She’d just have to convince him to kiss her first.

**_Eleven hours to go._ **

* * *

James always sat in the desk behind Lily in Charms. Made it easy to lean forward and whisper silly things in her ear.

Today, he was grateful for his position, because at least he couldn’t ogle her pretty face, or notice the pout of her lips, or see too much of her long, graceful—

_Bloody Hell._

Lily had tipped her head back and was gently shaking out her loose, auburn waves. She gathered that thick hair into a tail and twisted it up into some sort of pastry-looking design on the back of her head, held in place with a Muggle pencil. James’ mouth dropped open. As he watched, her fingers skated up the back of her neck to tuck a few loose strands into her new ‘do. She rolled her neck gently from side to side as if she were working out a knot in her shoulders, and when she turned so that she could see James’ face, she winked.

_Bloody Hell._

He licked his lips, his eyes glued to the stray hairs at her nape that had escaped from her updo. He knew those hairs were soft and fine, and if he tangled his fingers in them and gently tilted her head backward, Lily’s eyes would slide shut and she would release a little purring sound from deep in her throat. If he wasn’t already, he got instantly hard every time she made that sound.

Absolutely unfair of her to remind him of that right now, in the middle of a Charms lesson.

He dug his fingers through his own hair and huffed out a frustrated sigh. He was really going to have to step his game up if he intended to win this bet.

Lily’s fingers massaged the back of her neck again, tracing along the pale skin that contrasted so beautifully with her dark her school robes, and James bit his lip to keep from growling. He pushed his glasses up and wearily rubbed his eyes. Inspiration struck, and he removed his glasses entirely. Now the girl in front of him just looked like a blur of auburn and cream and black, like some sort of muted Halloween display.

Brilliant. You can’t lust after what you can’t see, at least not without a concerted effort. And James would make no such effort, not until he’d won this bet.

**_Nine-and-a-half hours to go._ **

* * *

Lily already knew Potions was going to be difficult. Potions was one of the few classes where James clearly worked hard (he’d confided once that he didn’t want to embarrass his father), and she always found James hot when he was being all bookish and earnest. Plus, if ever there were an excuse for him to keep his sleeves rolled up, Potions was it. She often pulled him into a corner for a snog after this class, turned on as much by his look of concentration as by his firm grip on the mortar and pestle they used to blend various seeds and herbs. Potions was her best subject and one of only two classes where she consistently got better marks than James. But where she was efficient and exacting in front of a cauldron, James was an artist – thoughtful, delicate, intuitive. And, Merlin, she loved to watch him work.

But not today. Today she would not be taken in by his sexy intensity or his muscular forearms.

With that in mind, she bumped him with her hip as they entered the Potions classroom and looked up at him with a sly smile.

“I’m going to partner with Mary today, all right, Potter?”

He feigned shock. “Why, Evans, I’m hurt.”

She snickered. “No, you aren’t.”

He laughed, too, but caught her by the hand as she started to step away from him. As he tugged her closer to him, he leaned in so his lips were by her ear and whispered, “Worried you might not be able to control yourself if you’re right next to me, eh?” His hazel eyes were sparkling as he looked down at her.

Lily suppressed a shiver at the feel of his breath at the top of her ear, but she raised her chin and said, “I think you’re projecting, love.”

He chuckled again, and Lily pulled her hand from his and sashayed up to the workbench in front of her usual seat. She put her satchel on the floor and her textbook on the bench next to Mary’s, then turned around and stuck out her tongue at her boyfriend. He shook his head, lips tilting in a naughty grin.

When Marlene approached the table Lily had claimed, eyebrows raised in question, Lily shrugged and smiled innocently. “Can you work with James today, Marls? I want to talk to Mary.”

“Sure.” Marlene still looked skeptical, but she slid into the seat next to James. “Did you two have a row?” she whispered to him, loud enough for Lily to hear.

“Nah,” he said in a stage-whisper, and Lily could tell he was still smirking. “We’ve just got a friendly wager going today, and Evans is scared she’ll lose if she has to experience all my charm up close.”

Lily whipped around to face him with an indignant gasp. “I am not! If anything, I’m doing you a favor!”

Mary turned around and glanced between them with an exaggerated look of concern. “That sounds like trouble. What’re ye up to?”

James shrugged and, with feigned nonchalance, pushed his sleeves up to his elbows. Lily huffed and pressed her lips together, lest she do something embarrassing like lick them in anticipation. James took off his glasses to polish them on his shirt, offering Lily a quick wink as he did so.

“Nothing,” he assured Mary. “And don’t worry, no one’s in trouble.”

“Hmph. Not yet, anyway.” Lily turned back to face the front of the class. _If it’s trouble you want, it’s trouble you’ll get, James Potter._ She just had to find the right moment.

Slughorn assigned them to brew an antidote to Veratiserum, a complicated potion with many steps. Perfect. A long instructions list that she might need to review more than once would create an excellent opportunity for her to put her plan into action.

The students flocked to the shelves to gather the relevant ingredients. Lily purposely did not look at James as she returned to her workstation, but she knew he would be leaning forward, resting one of those muscled forearms on the table with the other hand buried in his hair while he read the textbook. She tried not to pout. He was really cute when he did that.

With a shake of her head, she pushed aside any warm, sensual thoughts about James and refocused on him as her competitor, the man trying to prove he had more willpower than she did.

_Hmph. Maybe in his dreams._

He may have thought he could knock her off balance with his forearms, but now she was at an advantage, positioned in front of him like she was. With a devious smile that she wished James could see, she tucked some loose hairs behind her ear and ran her fingers up the back of her neck. He may have sucked in a sharp breath behind her, but she wasn’t sure.

That was all right. She was only just beginning.

“Alright, what’s the first step, Mare?” she asked. She leaned forward on her forearms herself, as if looking at the textbook, and arched her back just slightly. The position highlighted her round bum and the gentle curve of her hips.

She’d never thought her bum was particularly interesting, until she started dating James. But he loved it. He loved to sneak a pinch when his arm was around her waist, he loved when she straddled his lap and he could grab it with both hands, he loved to place kisses on it when she was nude and laying on her stomach. If anything would get him to end this madness and snog her, already, it would be this perfect view of her arse.

She crossed one ankle behind the other and rocked a bit from side to side as she read the instructions for the antidote. She definitely caught James' grunt this time. She smiled to herself, but pretended she hadn't heard anything. Mary had started mock-grumbling about how they never got to practice any cosmetic potions, and Lily took the opportunity to drape herself even further over the workbench as she fell out laughing at her friend’s silly tirade.

“For Godric’s sake, be careful!” Marlene cried, and Lily glanced behind her to see that James had knocked a tin of beetroot powder onto the floor right behind her.

His golden-brown skin was flushed nearly as red as the powder on the floor. Lily flashed him a bright smile and giggled. “Someone’s clumsy,” she teased, shaking her head. “Let me get that.”

And, in a completely unnecessary move, she bent ninety degrees at the waist before sweeping her wand in a small circle over the spilled beetroot and siphoning it back into its tin. 

It would've been too obvious if she'd stuck her whole arse in James' face, so she positioned herself so he would see her in profile rather than from behind. But she definitely moved more slowly than she had to, and she definitely arched her back again for emphasis as she righted herself.

James made a choking sound, then abruptly turned to Marlene. "I'll be right back, Marley," he said, clearing his throat. "I've got to run to the toilet.”

* * *

**_One o’clock. Seven hours to go._ **

Lily walked up to James after Potions, the picture of innocence, and asked if he was ready for lunch. He was cautiously hopeful that was innuendo – maybe their little game had her feeling as frisky as it did him. But in case she wasn’t, he didn’t want to end up alone with her. The state he was in right now, if she didn’t make the first move, he certainly would. 

He'd thought about wanking in the loo when he escaped during class, but he didn't want to risk being gone so long that Marlene had questions upon his return. So, he'd simply splashed some cold water on his face and thought about Argus Filch, which never failed to kill any mood.

But now that Lily was here in front of him again, he wanted nothing more than to drop to his knees and trace every delicious curve with his hands, followed by his lips. And that was not a path to victory. So, he declined her invitation to walk to lunch with her, promising he’d meet her in the Great Hall shortly.

She licked her lips and gave him a slow, lazy smile. “See you there,” she said, and there was an obvious sway in her hips as she turned and walked away.

James took a deep breath and counted to a hundred before he left the Potions classroom, then began to make his way to the Great Hall. He was trying to convince himself to be annoyed with Lily for tempting him so thoroughly, but he couldn’t stop grinning. She’d really taken her teasing up a notch, waving her bum around like that in the middle of class. He hadn’t expected it, and the cat-like way she arched her back had definitely distracted him from everything else in the room, including the height of the flame under his cauldron and the number of sprigs of peppermint he’d added to his brew. (As a result, the final solution had smelled like mouthwash).

It was only by the luck of Godric that Lily had her robes on over her uniform skirt, so the full extent of her curves was somewhat hidden. She probably wouldn’t have done something so risqué otherwise, but even her robe-covered bum got him nearly as excited as a thirteen-year-old lad who’d nicked his first Wicked Witches magazine. 

There was just something thrilling about his girlfriend trying to seduce him in public. But her actions had to have consequences. If he had to exist in this state, she would too.

When he arrived at lunch, he chose a seat across from Lily again. But this time, he was prepared. He wouldn’t wait to see what games she had planned for the lunch hour. He’d go on the offensive before she had a chance to do anything at all.

He shot her a grin as he sat down, and she returned it, her eyes dancing. She thought she was on top of things.

 _Not for long_ , James thought. _Operation: Seduce Evans_ was underway.

First, he shucked out of his robes and pushed his sleeves up before he reached for the spinach quiche in the center of the table. As he did, he saw his girlfriend sneak a glance at his arms again. She looked a little flushed. 

_Good_. 

“I’m famished!” he announced. “Potions took a lot out of me today.” He shot Lily his best smoldering look as he filled his plate, then made a show of loosening the knot on his tie and unbuttoning the top button on his shirt, tilting his head this way and that to celebrate the freedom of his neck. 

Lily very pointedly turned away from him, and James’ lips curved in a confident smile. Step two of _Operation: Seduce Evans_ was working brilliantly.

“You were smart to work with Mary, Evans,” he continued loudly, forcing her to look back at him. He raised his eyebrows playfully and waved his fork in the air with a flourish, hoping the gesture highlighted his arms some more. “I was a disaster.”

“Truly! What was that about?” Marlene chimed in.

“Yeah, Potter, what happened?” Lily asked, a tiny smirk slipping onto her otherwise angelic expression.

 _Cheeky minx_. James laughed to himself. _Time for step three._ He held up one finger and picked up a glass of pumpkin juice, then took a long, exaggerated drink. He knew Lily could see the muscles of his neck and the movement of his throat as he swallowed, thanks to his unbuttoned shirt. He didn’t think there was anything special about his neck, and he secretly worried his shoulder muscles were a bit scrawny, but Lily always stared at him when he yanked off his sweaty robes after a Quidditch match, and the way she traced her fingers over his shoulders when he was on top of her had to count for something, right?

He just had to hope these little glimpses of his collarbone now reminded her of those moments just as much as the sight of her arched back and perky behind had done for him during potions.

A spark of an idea flared in his mind – an even more inspired plan than taking off his glasses during Charms. Why settle for taunting Lily with mere snatches of his neck and shoulders when he had so much more to offer? He couldn’t get away with flashing her his bum during lunch, but he might be able to flash something else. It would just take a little maneuvering...

He set his glass down in front of him, intentionally resting it far too close to the edge of the table to be practical. Then he turned back to Marlene with a guileless shrug. “No idea,” he said, spreading his hands helplessly.

And, in a completely unpredictable turn of events, one hand just _happened_ to knock into his precariously placed cup. 

He yelped dramatically as the glass fell into his lap and the juice spilled all over his shirt. “Shite!” he cried, leaping to his feet. He offered the girls a sheepish grin. “I’m just all thumbs today, I guess.”

“You really are,” Marlene said, disappointed. “First the beetroot powder, now this. If you keep on this way, we’ll have to replace you as our reserve Seeker. I’m not convinced you could stay on your broom right now.”

“Aw, come on! Everyone’s entitled to an off day.” James looked down at his wet shirt, then up at Lily. “Right, Evans?”

“Right,” she echoed. Her pupils darkened her green eyes, which were fixed on the stain spreading across his torso. “Nobody’s perfect.”

“Usually I’m close, though.” And with a wink and a devilish grin, James let his fingers – suddenly as dexterous as ever – fly over his buttons and whip off his white uniform shirt. He wore a thin vest underneath, but to the extent Lily liked his neck and shoulders, she liked his chest even more. And the lean-but-firm planes of his pecs were very, very visible in his current state of undress.

Shouts of “Oi!” and “Ack!” rang out from the table as half of his housemates looked at him like he’d completely lost it, but Lily made a noise that fell somewhere between a surprised squeal and a desperate whimper. 

The sound shot directly to James’ groin. He quickly dropped back into his seat to hide his growing erection. His whole body felt warm, and the look in his girlfriend’s eyes was not helping. _Shite indeed._ He was supposed to have the upper hand now, dammit. 

He braced himself against her enticing gaze and picked up his fork casually, as though eating lunch in his undershirt was a perfectly natural thing to do. “All right, Evans?” he asked, as blandly as he could.

“Mmhmm,” she said in a strangled voice. Her cheeks were pink and her pupils were still wide in her green eyes. “You startled me, that’s all.”

“Apologies,” James murmured. He wanted to offer another cocky smile and go back to his quiche, just pretending the thread of tension between them wasn’t so tight it could snap. But he couldn’t make his lips move, and he couldn’t look away. The moment seemed to stretch infinitely as he fell deeper and deeper into her lovely, hungry eyes.

“Yeah, what’re you doing, mate?” Remus demanded, breaking them both out of their lusty haze. James flinched, but managed to turn to his friend with an almost neutral expression. Remus shook his head and punched James gently in the shoulder. “Just use a drying charm next time.”

“Right,” Sirius agreed. “Save the striptease for your bedroom, eh?”

James chuckled, and Lily’s cheeks flushed further. But the new light in her eyes – excited, mischievous, and determined, all at once – let him know he’d better watch out for whatever was coming next.

**_Six hours to go._ **

* * *

Lily couldn’t believe James had taken off his shirt at the lunch table. Rolling up his sleeves and loosening his tie was one thing, but to strip down to his undershirt was something else entirely.

She was going to have to do something big to retake control of this situation, or she was going to jump him as soon as they finished classes for the day. And that just wouldn’t do – of course she was hot for her boyfriend, but this was a matter of Gryffindor pride. _I. Will. Not. Break. First._

But at this point, she was having trouble coming up with an alternative.

When they entered the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom, Lily was surprised to see that all the desks were gone and the room had been magically divided into six rectangles with numbers in the center, each outlined in glowing white light. The students lined up on the edge of the room, outside the boundaries of the rectangles, and whispered their confusion to one another. 

“All right, class, settle down,” Professor Pearl said, coming to stand in the center of the classroom. “Today, we’re going to practice dueling within a confined space. You’ll pair off and attempt to knock each other outside of the glowing borders of your dueling area.”

The students buzzed with excitement. Lily glanced up at James as the Professor continued going over the rules. “Partners?” she whispered.

He grinned at her, only a hint of skepticism in his eyes. “Of course.”

They took their position in practice area number two. Marlene and Dorcas were on one side of them, in rectangle number one, and Remus and Peter were on the other, in rectangle three. The remaining three rectangles were occupied by the Hufflepuffs with whom they shared class.

“Remember, you earn one point for knocking your partner to the ground, but two for forcing them outside of the designated dueling space. The purpose of this exercise is to improve your reflexes and agility! You never know when you’ll be required to dodge out of a tight spot!”

“Yes, Professor,” the students chorused.

“Brilliant. Bow to each other, and let’s get started then.”

The students faced their partners and bowed politely, then took up various fighting stances. James twirled his wand as he settled into a lunge, like a Muggle fencer.

“Go easy on me, all right, Evans?”

“Never.” She gave him a cheeky smile and immediately yelled, “Incarcerous!”

“Oh, ho!” James cried, as he dodged to avoid the ropes spewing forth from Lily’s wand. “Nice one!” He fired a Jelly-Legs Jinx her way, then ducked under the spray of sticky, smelly liquid she shot at him next. His Jelly-Legs Jinx missed, but from his low crouch he tossed some sort of lasso spell in her direction.

Before Lily realized what was happening, the golden ropes from James’ wand had pinned her arms to her sides, and James was hauling her towards him as if she were a lost sheep. Lily hated the feeling of being trapped, but she couldn’t help admiring the flex of his arms as he pulled the rope in, hand over hand, until she was right in front of him.

She gasped involuntarily as she came to a stop with her nose only inches from his chin. Bound as she was, she couldn’t touch him, but she could smell his natural musk, plus the hint of cinnamon and broom polish that all combined to create a scent that was just so quintessentially _James_. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took a deep breath through her nose.

When she opened her eyes again, James was looking down at her with a mix of arrogance and desire. He waved his wand to release the ropes from her body, lips quirked in a grin. “One point for me,” he said softly.

“No,” Lily said. She sounded breathless, and she could feel her heart racing. Partnering with James may have been a bad idea. He always looked extra buff when he was dueling – athletic and confident and just generally gorgeous. And now she was close enough to smell him, too? _Argh_.

She swallowed to collect herself, then repeated more firmly, “No. You didn’t knock me down, and I didn’t cross the boundary. No points for you.”

His eyebrows lifted in amusement, and he spun his wand between his fingers. “Is that right?”

“Those are the rules,” Lily said, with a flippant shrug and a playful note in her voice.

“All right.” James’ smile turned wicked. “Let’s go again.”

They bowed to one another and began their second duel. James quickly fired off a Tripping Jinx, but Lily side-stepped to the very edge of their dueling platform and was able to avoid it. “Locomotor Mortis!” she yelled in retaliation, but James cast a Shield charm and deflected the leg-locker spell. Lily had to jump aside again to avoid her own rebounding curse.

James dropped his shield and aimed his wand at Lily’s feet. “Tarantallegra!” he cried, and this time, the spell hit its mark. Lily’s feet began moving in a quick, uncoordinated jig, and James shouted with glee.

Somehow, Lily managed to keep her wits about her, even though her feet were still twisting and shaking like she was a dancer on Top of the Pops. “Petrificus Totalus!” she yelled, hoping a full-body bind might knock James to the ground, or at least give her time to lift the wild spell from her own feet.

But, in an agile move Lily wouldn’t have thought possible, James dropped to his knees to slide _under_ her curse and yelled, “Glisseo!” as he regained his feet.

It was a brilliant choice – James’ spell made the floor beneath her over-exuberant feet as slippery as ice. Her arms windmilled like a cartoon character’s as she tried to maintain her balance, to no avail. Her feet went in different directions, and she gracelessly hit the floor.

Her right foot rolled underneath her, and she felt a slight twinge in her ankle before she landed on her knees. She groaned as she turned over to sit on her bum, flexing her foot back and forth to assess the damage. 

“Now I get one point!” James declared, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She stuck out her tongue in response.

"You all right, Lily?" Dorcas called as she threw up a shield charm to block Marlene's Bat-Bogey Hex, much to Marlene’s frustration. Dorcas had always been an excellent duelist.

"Yeah, I think so," Lily grumbled. _My pride hurts more than my ankle._ She turned to James with a scowl. "Help me up."

He was beaming as he hurried to her side and grabbed both of her hands in his. Even in her annoyance at losing the duel, Lily couldn’t help relishing the strength of his touch and the scrape of those calluses on his palms against her own. His hands were electric, sending warmth and a sweet, buzzing energy through her skin at every point of contact.

 _I need those hands on more of my body,_ Lily thought, and just like that, a decision was made.

She intentionally overbalanced as James pulled her to her feet, standing up with just enough force of her own to bring her crashing into his firm body. “Oof,” she whispered, steadying herself with her hands against his chest. She wobbled a little, favoring her right foot as she leaned into him. “I must’ve turned my ankle when I fell.”

James’ brow creased with real worry. “Ah, bollocks, I’m sorry, Evans. Does it hurt much? Do you need the infirmary?”

“I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head slowly. “I probably just need to prop it up somewhere, keep my weight off it for a bit.” She looked up at him with mischief in her eyes, hoping he’d catch her meaning. “If you could just help me back to the dorm, I think I’ll be all right.”

“Are you sure? If you can’t put weight on it, maybe Madam Pomfrey—”

“Potter,” she interrupted, her voice low but firm, “I don’t need Madam Pomfrey. I just need _you_ to help me back to my room.”

He blinked at her once, then nodded rapidly. “Of course!” His eyes scanned the room for Professor Pearl, who he called over to them. “Professor, Evans turned her ankle. Do you mind if I help her back to the dorm?”

“Oh, dear! Let me take a look!” the Professor exclaimed, hurrying to Lily’s side. She squatted down and gently held Lily’s foot in place, then touched the ankle bone with her wand. “There’s nothing broken, at least,” she said with relief. She stood up again and nodded at the two students. “You may go, dear, and you may help her. Be sure to elevate your foot and use a freezing charm once you’re back in your room, but go straight to Madam Pomfrey if you notice any swelling.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lily said. She slipped her arm around James’ waist – just for support, of course – and looked up at him. “Thanks, Potter. Let’s go.”

She waved goodbye to their still-dueling friends and hobbled out into the corridor.

“I’m so sorry, Evans,” James said again, once they were alone in the hallway. He squeezed her to his side in an awkward hug. “I shouldn’t have used that spell in a practice duel.”

“It’s all right, it was perfectly within the rules. And smart, to boot.” She batted her eyelashes and smiled. “But if you really feel badly, you can make it up to me.”

He hesitated, a puzzled expression on his face. Then his eyes darkened, and he turned to face her. His voice was thick when he asked, “How’s that?”

“Carry me back to Gryffindor Tower?”

James let out a low chuckle. “Whatever you want, Evans.”

* * *

**_Quarter past three. Less than five hours to go._ **

James’ hormones were rioting. He was carrying Lily, as she’d asked, and she was so soft and curvy and she kept burying her nose in the crook of his neck.

But he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to be turned on right now, while she was injured. So he rambled about Dorcas’ dueling skills and explained why he always aimed for the feet rather than the chest when fighting, and just generally focused on anything but the way Lily’s body felt in his arms.

“All right,” she said, as they finally approached the portrait hole. “You can put me down now.”

"What?” James stopped walking and looked down at her with a shake of his head. “I’m not putting you down until you’re safely on the sofa in front of the fireplace.”

“Oh, no,” Lily said, shaking her head, too. “I’m not staying on that sofa.”

“Well, where then? I can’t carry you up to the girls’ dormitories, and you shouldn’t climb stairs in your state.”

Lily bit back a giggle. “It’ll be all right. And I’m not planning to go to the girls’ dormitories, either.” When he continued to look at her with worried eyes, she sighed and gave him an exasperated and slightly guilty smile. "Promise you won't be angry with me?"

“Of course not!” James frowned. “Wait, why would I be angry?”

“Well…” Lily’s buried her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck as she talked, and James tried not to shiver. “I may have exaggerated the extent of my injury just a bit.”

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I did turn my ankle,” she said quickly, “but I probably could have fixed it back in class with a minor healing charm. It's not bad at all."

"Are you sure? If it's so easy to heal, why didn't you just do it? "

She shrugged and nuzzled her nose against his chin. "I needed an excuse to leave class."

“Okay,” he said slowly. The gears in his head were turning, but none of the conclusions he was reaching made sense. And her hair smelled _fantastic_ , which was very distracting. “You wanted to leave class. And you wanted me to carry you back to the dorms. Why?” 

“Because,” Lily began, before trailing off and biting her lip. She was still in James’ arms, one hand on the back of his neck, and now she placed the other one flat against his chest, over his heart. “Because we made this stupid bet, and now you haven't touched me all day!” She buried her face in his neck, so her next words were muffled. “And I miss you! I miss your arms and the way you smell and…everything else, all right?”

James was utterly bewildered. Then he burst out laughing. “Evans, you little minx!” He shook his head. “Well, I’ve carried you this far, haven’t I? No reason to stop now. And, honestly, you probably should elevate that ankle, like Professor Pearl said.”

“It’s not that bad, I swear. I’ll use a cooling charm on it later, but I think I can walk a bit now, really.” She looked up at him through her long, dark eyelashes. “Besides, if everyone sees you carry me up the stairs, it will be far too obvious what we're about to do.”

“What we’re…about to do?” James asked in a raspy, hopeful voice. “But…what about the bet?”

Lily fluttered those long eyelashes. “Can we call it a tie?”

James chuckled affectionately. “Hmm. I ought to deny you this, you know. Make you admit that you lost. _You_ can't keep your hands off _me_. Or can't last a day without my hands on you. Whatever.”

She poked out her bottom lip. “But I’m injured, sort of! I’m no longer in fighting form!”

“Thought you just said your ankle wasn’t that bad?”

“Hmph.” Lily heaved a dramatic sigh and let her head fall back, baring her throat to James.

"Evans…" he said warningly, his voice ragged. She grinned and slowly undid the top button on her shirt. James groaned. "Fine. Fine, it’s a tie. As long as all this—” he gestured loosely at her to indicate her clothes “—is coming off when we get upstairs, you can call it whatever you like."

Lily rewarded him with a sigh of relief and a lingering kiss along his jawline. “You've got yourself a deal.”

* * *

**_Four-and-a-half hours to go, but no one's counting..._ **

James finally agreed to put Lily down, and they walked into the common room together, loudly discussing the prefects’ schedule for the following week. It was three-thirty in the afternoon, and many of the younger students had finished class for the day and were milling about, some revising, some just chatting and playing games. No one seemed to pay the Head Students any particular attention. After James shot a tiny distraction charm (Sirius’ invention) towards the fireplace, causing most of the students in the room to turn their heads, he and Lily hurried up the stairs to the boys’ dormitory.

They paused for a moment as they entered the seventh years’ room.

“Hello?” called James.

No one answered. “Good, I thought so,” he said. “Remus and Pete should be in Defense for another hour, and Sirius has Wizard Lit until five today. We’ve got plenty of time.” Still, he put a locking charm on the door and a silencing charm on the curtains around his bed.

“Brilliant,” Lily said. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to his bed, then pushed him backwards onto it.

He fell with a laugh. Lily began to climb onto his lap, but he stopped her. “I thought you promised these robes were coming off?”

Lily grinned. “You’re right, I did.” She stepped back and undid the clasp on her robes, letting them slide down her shoulders onto the floor. James grunted in satisfaction. “Now yours,” she said with a giggle.

James stood and slipped off his school robes, then went to work on his tie. Meanwhile, Lily began very carefully, very teasingly, undoing the buttons on her white uniform shirt.

James froze, his tie dangling from one hand and the top two buttons on his shirt undone. When she parted the top of her shirt so that her pink bra peeked out, he let out a quiet groan. “Evans, you’re killing me!”

She giggled again. “Well, Sirius did say to save the striptease for the bedroom, right?”

“Come here,” James grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards him as he sat on the bed. Her shirt undone, he pushed the two sides open and off her shoulders, leaning in to press a series of desperate kisses to her neck as he did. He moaned as he drew his lips away. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” he admitted. “But first…” He slid his hands around her now-bare waist and up her back, stopping at the clasp for her bra. He raised his eyebrows in question, and she nodded eagerly. The clasp opened easily, and James slid the straps down Lily’s arms before dropping the bra to the floor.

His palms were flat and warm on her back. Their eyes were level in their current position, as she was standing and he was seated, and his were filled with admiration as he scanned her face, her neck, and, finally, her bared breasts. “Perfect,” he whispered hoarsely. He slid his hands down her back to cup her bum beneath her skirt, using his grip to drag her even closer. “Perfect.”

Taking her cue from him, Lily climbed up so that her knees were on either side of his legs and settled into his lap. “Yes, Lil,” he whispered, his eyes falling closed as she pressed her bare chest against him and wiggled into a more comfortable position. “That’s it.”

“You’re still wearing your shirt,” Lily whined, nipping at his neck in punishment.

His eyes blinked open slowly and his lips tilted in a crooked grin as he focused his gaze on her face. “You distracted me,” he said, his tone equally accusatory. He gave her bum a squeeze. “I’ll fix it now.”

She did it for him, leaning back just enough to reach between them and undo the remaining buttons on his shirt. Once it was off, she grabbed the hem of his undershirt and tugged that up over his head, as well.

“Better,” she murmured.

“Good.” He pulled her close so they were chest to chest again, and she relished the sensation of her breasts and already-tight nipples against his skin. He kissed her slowly, but not gently – his kisses were passionate and deliberate, with purpose. He kissed her as though he wanted to taste every centimeter of her mouth, tame it with his demanding lips, map every curve and crevice with his tongue. Eventually, though, he pulled away, grazing his teeth along her bottom lip and earning a satisfied sigh as he did so. His pupils had darkened his eyes and his expression was one of pure focus when he ducked his head to nibble her ear and kiss her neck, gradually moving lower to suckle her collarbone. Lily moaned with bliss as his mouth worked a particularly sensitive spot. Eager for more, she ran her hands over his shoulders then wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts firmly into his face.

He chuckled into her soft flesh, then turned his head to flick his tongue over one rosy nipple. Lily whimpered and arched into him. She didn’t have huge breasts, but they were more than enough to fill his mouth, and what could a man do with more than that, really? James had certainly never complained. Now he closed his lips around the breast whose nipple he had just teased and sucked gently before letting his teeth lightly scrape the stiff peak.

The sensation shot straight to Lily’s core. “Fuck, James,” she panted, letting her head fall back. “That feels so good.”

“Good.” He did it again, then offered the other breast the same treatment. His hands had reclaimed their position on her arse, and she was writhing against him as he licked and played with her breasts.

“Fuck, Lily,” he said, echoing her words from seconds ago. “I want you just like this, right now. Can we do that, love? Can I take off these knickers—” he squeezed her bum again “—and then you’ll ride me, just like you’re doing now?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Lily breathed, already scrambling from his lap. She turned around so he could unzip the short zipper on the side of her skirt, then wiggled her hips until the red tartan material fell to the floor. James smoothed his hands over her hips and her bottom again, then leaned in and bit one of the full, round cheeks. She squealed in surprise and felt the heat pooling between her legs. He laughed quietly and kissed the spot he’d bitten, then turned and bit the other cheek. Finally, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her pink knickers. “All right, love?”

“Mmhmm,” was all she could manage. He dragged the knickers down her legs, and she stepped out of them.

James made a sound of approval and leaned in to bite her bum again. Lily giggled and arched her back and got another groan in response. James pressed a kiss to her soft flesh. “I knew I was glad you had your robes on in Potions,” he mumbled. “When you stick your bum out like that it drives me mad.”

“Like this?” Lily asked, bending at the waist and arching her back even further.

“Fuck, Lily.” Bent over as she was, Lily could clearly see his erection tenting his pants, and his voice was low and husky. “Now I want to take you like that, with your arse in the air.”

“You can have me however you want,” Lily said softly, a coquettish smile on her lips, and James moaned again.

His rough hands tenderly cradled her naked bum, stroking and caressing as though it were something fragile and very, very valuable. Lily sighed with pleasure. _Merlin_ , but she loved the feel of his hands on her body. This is what she had been waiting for all day.

James dropped one more kiss on the small of her back, right above the curve of her arse, then quickly spun her around by the hips. Lily let out a startled yelp. “Like this first,” he murmured, dropping his hands from her waist to make quick work of his trousers. He stood to remove his boxer shorts, then sat back down on the bed, pulling Lily with him. “I still want to see you riding me.”

Lily grinned as James scooted backwards until he was in the center of the bed. She took a moment to enjoy his tall, athletic body – big, long-fingered hands resting at his sides, the flex of his abs as he leaned back on his elbows, the definition in his broad shoulders. James bit his bottom lip and watched her watching him. When he spoke again, his voice was rough and pleading. “Come here, love.”

She complied, climbing onto his lap and settling her knees on either side of his thighs, his erection nudging at her center. She rubbed herself back and forth along his hard length, getting him slick with her wetness. He let out a quiet moan of pleasure and gripped her bottom with one hand, massaging and kneading it roughly, while the hand on the bed, supporting their weight, gripped the sheets with equal fervor.

Lily traced the seam of his lips with her tongue before delving inside. She took her time, and he matched her pace, teasing and licking into each other’s mouths until they fell into an increasingly frantic, seductive rhythm. They both were breathing heavily when he lifted his mouth from hers, and then his lips were all over her throat, shoulders, and breasts.

Lily whimpered again, the heat and tingling sensation at her core almost too much to bear. Everything felt so good, but her body needed more. Now.

“Are you ready for me?” she gasped, as James’ tongue circled a stiff nipple.

“Always,” he whispered back.

She sighed in relief and separated from him just enough to reach between them and grab his erect penis. She slowly pumped it twice with her hand, savoring the feel of the velvety skin covering the hard length, already slick from her wetness, and then positioned it at her entrance. In one smooth, sensuous, motion, she lowered herself onto him and immediately felt her inner walls clench around the hardness inside her. “Yesss,” she hissed, dropping her head back and letting her eyes fall closed.

“Uh-uh,” James said. He was still sitting up, but the arm supporting his weight was shaking. “Look at me, Lil.”

She did, and she knew the desire, lust, and adoration in his eyes mirrored her own. He pumped his hips slowly beneath her, giving her firm, deep strokes while the hand on her rear held her firmly in place. Eyes locked on his, she rolled her hips in time with his motions, knowing he could feel the muscles of her ass flexing, urging her on, the same way she could feel the muscles in his thighs and see the muscles of his stomach working to hold their position.

He ripped his gaze from hers to bury his face in her breasts and began to thrust harder, hitting a sweet spot inside her. She cried out and dropped her head back again, and James grunted. Breathing heavily, he kissed one of her breasts before raising his eyes again. “My arm is getting tired,” he said, leaning forward to nuzzle her chin. “I’ve got to lie back.”

Face flushed, Lily nodded. Even that movement, as his stomach unclenched and he adjusted his body, felt amazing inside her. She sighed and dragged her hands through her hair, lifting it off her neck and trying to cool down.

“Mmm,” James murmured. His hips started moving in a lazy, circular motion. Every time he rubbed against that certain spot inside her, Lily shivered with pleasure. He grinned. “Advantage of being down here, I can see more of you.” He reached up and placed one hand on her collarbone, fingers framing her neck, and put the other back on her bum. “And I can use both hands.”

“I like it,” Lily said breathily, bending forward to kiss him. His hand circled her neck gently, but there was possessiveness behind the touch. She liked that, too. He lifted his head to nip at her breast as she returned to an upright position, and she giggled even as she felt her core clench again.

“Good,” her boyfriend said, his expression satisfied. He let his hands slide down her body and come to rest on her thighs. “Now, what should I do for you?”

“Just…” She picked up his hands and placed them on her breasts, his thumbs right over the nipples. “Play with them, okay? And—” she let out a soft moan as his thrust hit the perfect spot again “—keep doing that."

“Like this?” He rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger and pushed more deeply inside her.

“Yes!” Lily gasped. She began to bounce on top of him, adjusting the angle until the head of his penis was consistently hitting that sweet spot and her swollen clit was rubbing against his pelvic bone with every stroke. As if he could tell she’d found the perfect position, one of James’ hands left her breast and clamped down on her bum, pressing her hips more firmly against his and holding her there.

“Yes…” Lily hissed again. “Oh, that’s—fuck, James, I’m so close!”

“Good,” James said breathlessly. He pinched her nipple and at the same time thrust his hips upward and held them there, letting Lily control the friction on her clit just the way she liked.

It was perfect. Lily’s thighs clenched around his waist at the same time her inner muscles clenched on the stiff length inside her, and she exploded with a drawn-out cry. Her body shook so hard that if James hadn’t been holding her in place, she would have simply collapsed into a boneless puddle. She could feel her wet, sticky heat between them, and her clit was tender and throbbing, almost begging for more.

While Lily was basking in the afterglow of her release, James sat up quickly, holding her body tight against his so she didn’t get thrown from her perch. “How do you feel, love? Can you go a bit longer?” His tone was pleading as he stroked her bum. “I still want to see your arse in the air. I promise it won’t take long.”

She laughed into the crook of his neck. “I feel fantastic. My legs are like jelly.” She pressed a kiss to his neck and another to his shoulder. “But I could definitely go for more. Please.”

“Brilliant,” James breathed. He flipped Lily onto her back, chuckling at her squeal of surprise. Then he crawled backwards down her body, pausing to place kisses in a few select places before coming to a stand next to the bed. “Would this be all right?” He grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her towards him, and Lily gasped. “You stand here and bend over the bed?”

“I would,” Lily began, looking into his hopeful eyes, “except I’m actually not sure my ankle can take it.”

“Bollocks! Your ankle!” James released the offending area and rubbed over it with gentle hands, then bent to give it a kiss. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed your feet. Are you all right?”

His erection was starting to wilt, no longer a soldier standing at attention but perhaps one tired, on his way back to the barracks after a long day’s work. That wouldn’t do. Lily grabbed his semi-hard shaft and began stroking him, not wanting the encounter to end without more sex, without James finishing inside her, without him worshipping her rear like he so wanted to. They’d never done it in that position before, and the thought of something new, something that would please James so much, was turning Lily on more than she would have thought possible.

“It’s all right, it doesn’t hurt much,” she promised, reaching out to cup his balls with her other hand. “I’m just not sure I should stand on it while you’re pounding into me, eh?” Her eyes were glittering and her smile was wicked as she added, “But maybe if we do it like this…” She released his manhood and scooted back to the center of the bed, then turned over on her hands and knees. She leaned forward and stretched like a cat, bum high in the air, then glanced over her shoulder at her boyfriend. He moaned like he was in pain.

“That’ll work,” he said hoarsely, his erection fully recovered. He climbed onto the bed behind his girlfriend and smoothed his hands over the globes of her bottom. “Merlin, I love your arse,” he whispered reverently.

Lily wiggled said arse back and forth flirtatiously and giggled. “I know.”

“Minx,” he said softly. He bent and marked her bum with his teeth again, then reached between her legs and dipped two fingers deep inside her. She whimpered as they slid in with a squishy sound that might have been embarrassing if it hadn’t felt so good. “So wet,” James murmured.

“Mmhmm,” she murmured in reply. “‘Cause of you.”

James grunted and bit her arse one more time. After stroking his fingers in and out at a leisurely pace, with Lily rocking her hips back to meet his gentle thrusts, James rose up on his knees. He dragged his shaft between her folds, slicking himself with her wetness again before he gently pressed the tip to her entrance.

They both groaned as he slid inside her, his hips slowly rocking in and out until he was fully buried in her warmth. His hands roved over her back and bum, and he leaned forward and to press a kiss between her shoulder blades.

The position felt…different than Lily was used to, but she liked the way his body enveloped hers. She could also feel the pressure of his hardness deeper inside her than she ever had before. Her muscles clenched around him and she involuntarily thrust back for more.

“Lily,” James rasped. “Fuck.”

She responded by pushing her hips back again. James let out a quiet groan and grabbed her hips in both hands. Before she could rock against him again, he pulled back slightly before pumping into her with shallow, quick thrusts.

It felt amazing, and she could feel her body opening up to him, to this position. A pitiful moan slipped from her lips, and James’ grip on her hip tightened briefly before he released her with one hand and leaned forward to cup her breast. Lily moaned again.

“More,” she whined, and she heard James whisper, “Yes.” His grip on her breast tightened, and his strokes became deeper, and Lily could feel her wetness dripping down her thighs. He started slowly, withdrawing so that only the head of his penis remained inside her and then gradually pushing until he was buried to the hilt. But soon she matched his rhythm, and he picked up the pace, hitting her with short, deep strokes that had his sac slapping against her clit as he pistoned his hips in and out.

“Ohhh,” Lily moaned, and she lowered herself to her forearms, thrusting her ass even higher in the air and allowing him to go even deeper.

The sound that bubbled out of James’ mouth was half-growl and half-curse. He stopped massaging her breast and grabbed both of her hips again, pulling them up even higher. His thrusts were growing more frantic, more uncoordinated, and Lily could tell he was close. She was, too.

She slid one of her hands from under her head down between her legs. “I think I might come again,” she whispered.

“Fuck!” James’ hips began moving even faster and his contact with her clit became less consistent.

With the hand she’d slid between her legs, Lily pressed two fingers to her clit and rubbed in a small, tight circle. Seconds later, an erotic wail was torn from her body as her orgasm crashed over her like waves in a tsunami. Her inner muscles were clenching and spasming, painfully greedy and yet completely sated at the same time. The fluttering sensation at her core echoed for what felt like minutes. She had never come so hard in her life.

Her orgasm triggered James’, and he thrust into her thrice more before finishing with a yell, followed by a long, low groan as he partially collapsed on her back.

They were breathing heavily, all flushed and sweaty and stuck together, and Lily had never felt more perfect. James had wrapped one arm around her torso and was stroking her breast lazily, sending even more fluttering sensations to her clit. His hips were moving in languid circles, as soothing to her inner muscles as a massage after a tough workout. Lily let her limbs slide out from under her until she was flat on her stomach, bringing James down on top of her. His weight felt good.

“All right, Evans?” he asked. He rolled them onto their sides, pulling out from her in the process. She whined in protest.

“I love how you feel inside me,” she said with a sigh. “That was amazing.”

“I agree.” James kissed the back of her neck. “Why is it we were trying not to do that, again? That was a very bad idea. Very bad.”

“It really was.” Lily rolled over so she was facing him and hooked a leg over his hip. “It’s my fault, I think. I should’ve been clearer.” He was massaging her thigh now, and she smiled and ran her hands over his solid chest. “See, when I said you couldn’t keep your hands off me for ten minutes, and you said you could?” She lifted her head and gave him a sweet, open-mouthed kiss. “Well, I should have told you right then—I’d never want you to, anyway.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the smuttiest smut I've written yet, and honestly, I love it! Hope you enjoyed :)


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